Traditional solutions allowing packet inspection and forwarding between multi-protocol label switching/virtual private networks in a public network for virtual private networks necessitates the use of an external firewall device with one or more physical links to each of the interconnected multi-protocol label switched/virtual private networks. Drawbacks of this solution are the cost of the external equipment and less than optimal packet inspection and forwarding and capacity constrained by the physical links and not the firewall. Accordingly, there exists a need in the art to overcome the deficiencies and limitations described hereinabove.